Frank needs some help and no one here seems to be able to get through to him.

I asked Frank’s boss to describe the problem. His response told me more about what it wasn’t than what it was.
“Frank’s not rude or withdrawn; he’s not outspoken or overbearing. He never gets angry. The guy is very intelligent. He understands how our business works and does what it takes to get his job done. We could let him stay here and rock along, but we’re not going to do that. We’re looking for leaders. Here, it’s up or out. The way he’s going, it’s going to be “out”. He’s a bright guy, so that’s a real waste of  time and talent, for us and for him.”

As directors go,  Frank was young; maybe early thirties. A senior vice president, who felt that his protégé needed to improve his leadership skills, had referred him. 
My initial reaction to Frank was that he just didn’t project much. He answered my questions by saying as little as possible. Whatever the subject, he offered no spark, reaction or comment that revealed his state of mind or sense of  well being.

He did provide an opening when he described positions  he had held when working for a former company.  Those job requirements demanded  skills and abilities 180 degrees from those he was currently using. I asked which roles he preferred and he responded simply “it doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t matter?” I pushed back. “How can it not matter?”

“Nothing matters if all you’re trying to do is earn enough money to  retire before your work kills you.”

And that was his bottom line. We just got there faster than I thought we would. Now he started to open up.

Frank had career dexterity. He was competent in whatever position he worked while not excelling in any. Frank had pride in his ability to adapt to the circumstance he faced. His early childhood experiences trained him to keep his head down, get his chores done, and stay out of trouble. Success in his first few jobs continued the pattern: keep your head down, get your job done, and stay out of trouble.

In order to sustain himself, Frank chose one goal worthy of such self restraint: earn enough money to retire early and live whatever life was left.

That worked as long as he was part of a command and control organization. The game changed when he changed companies.

The new rules required that he work through his direct reports, empowering them to do and be more. The new company’s culture was about trust and communication at all levels and to all people. To succeed, Frank would have to put his future and his confidence into the hands of the people that he managed.

As capable as Frank was, nothing had  prepared him for working in an organization that forced you out of the trenches. The lights were on and Frank couldn’t find the dimmer switch.

• Leading others is about more than getting the job done while watching the bottom line.
• Leaders must develop different strengths from those they relied upon earlier in their careers.
• Leaders take calculated risks, learn from their mistakes, and keep going.
• Leaders encourage and empower others to take chances and to learn from the mistakes they are going to make.
• Leaders provide others the training to learn and opportunity to work out the kinks.
• Leaders don’t have all the answers; they just have most of the questions.
• Leaders keep their egos in check  by realizing that their success is sustained and enhanced by the best and the brightest around them.They learn to take care of each other.

Making it, in today’s workplace, is about much more than keeping your head down, working hard, and staying out of trouble. If that’s been your pattern up to now,  heads-up. The future has landed.

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Yes! You may use this article by Executive and Career Coach, Joyce Richman, in your blog, article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.joycerichman.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started her own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.